Undergarment



E. B. MOWER. UNDERGARMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 19, I920.

Patented July 111, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. B. MOWER. UNDERGARMENTQ APPLICATION VHLED NOV. 19, 1920.

Pawnted July 111, 1922.,

2,SHEETSSHEET 2- W Qt...

earner EDWTARD B. MOWER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR TO THE FUTURISTCOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORYORATION OF ILLINOIS.

UNDERGAR-MENT.

eas es...

Application filed November 19, 1920.

T all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, EDWARD Bwlviownn,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi dent of Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Undergarments, of which the following is aspecifica tion.

'lhisinvention relates to improvements in undergarments, and moreparticularly to womens undergarments, made of'relatively inelasticfabric and including features of design similar to those garments of thes0 called athletic type.

The object of the invention is to provide a durable, well fitting, andcomfortable undergarment, wherein. the use of buttons has beeneliminated, and yet shaped to conform to the natural contour of thebody, without unnecessary fullness throughout those portions of thegarment where discomfort to the wearer would ordinarily result.

The features of the invention will be hereinafter set forth in detail, apreferred embodiment thereof being illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front view in elevation of the garment,

Fig, 2 is a back view in elevation of the same garment,

Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation of the garment,

Fig. 4 is a plan new of a piece of fabric cut to form the front section,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of another piece which forms the upper backsection,

Figs. (Sand 7 are plan views of the two side sections, and

Figs. 8 and9 are the views of the back-leg forming sections.

The garment is preferably made from a non-elastic woven fabric by thesewing together of the pieces or sections cut from patterns to theproper shape and size. The method of fabricating the garment is. perhapsbest understood by describing the several sections as they appear in theflat piece, and the manner in which they are united, although notnecessarily following the method employed by the operator in sewing thesections together. The front section 1 is a comparatively large piece offabric which forms the front of the body portion and leg portions, thissection being preferably unitary, and unsevered throughout theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11.,

Serial No. 425,034.

length and width of the garment, although if-"economy of materialdemands otherwise, the piecing together of several pieces of fab riowould. not be objectionable. The front section is generally rectangularin shape, its side edges 2, 2 being slightly curved to provide thenecessary shaping of the garment and the lower portion is severedintermediate the side edges from the lower edge, thereby forming the legportions 3, 8 havin opposed inner edges 4 4. i

The back of the garment is made up of a plurality of sections, namely,an upper body section 5, two back leg sections 6, 6 and a longitudinalstrip of elastic fabric 7 connecting the lower edge 8 of the upper bodysection 5 and the upper edges9, 9 of the leg sections 6, 6, and locatedslightly above the waist-line. Intermediate the back sections and thefront section 1 are-two side sections 10, l0,-the same-consisting ofcomparatively narrow strips of fabric adapted to extend the full lengthof and down each side of the garment. These side sections are sewedalong their side edges 11, 11 to the side edges 2, 2 of the frontsection 1, and to the side edges 12, 13 and 14 of the upper back section5, the elastic strip 7 and'the leg sections 6, 6, respectively, thusuniting the several sections together and giving the garment the tubularform. The-side sections are preferably shaped that is, the side edgesare cut to converge slightly toward the central or waist portion-of thegarment, and diverge or flare toward the ends. In this manner thenarrowing or shaping of the garment at the waist is secured, and theelimination of the unnecessary fullness at this portion of the body.

Referring to the manner in which the lower portion of the garment ismade, the side edges of'the front section, which include the legportions 3, 3 thereof, are oined to back leg sections 6, 6 by means ofthe intermediate side sections 10, as alreadydescribed, so that theouter side edges 2, 2 and 14, 14 are united. Now, to form the legs theinner edges 4, 4, of the front sections are sewed to the lower portions15, 15 of the innor edges of the sections 6, 6, the upper'and taperededges 16, 16 being free edges that form an opening extending from thewaist at the back of the garment to the apex of the leg portions 3, 3 atthe front of the garment. This opening is provided for by theoverlapping crotch forming portions 17, 17 of the leg sections 6, 6which are stitched together alongv their upper edges '18, 18 graduallytapering downwardly and toward the apex of the opening. The edges of theopening are hemmed and otherwise reinforced in an approved manner. Theupper edges of the garment are hemmed to provide a band 19 for adrawstring. Shoulder straps 20, 20 extend from front to rear in theusual manner.

Having described the manner in which the garment is made, certainfeatures may.

back sections are out less in width than the true width of the back,less by width of the side sections l0, 10. In being worn, however, it ismanifest that the increased fullness of the human body in the frontcompensates for the offsetting of the side sections when the garment islaid flat so that as a matter of fact the side sections follow the sidesof the body when the garment is worn, as shown in Fig. 3.

The presence or insertion of the side sections or strips 10, 10 isattended by several marked advantages, not only in fashion ing thegarment, but in the way of added strength and comfort to the wearer.Manifestly it is desirable to have the garment lit as snugly as comfortpermits in order to avoid the bunching or gathering of the materialbeneath the outer garments. The shaping of the side section permits agreater latitude'in introducing the desired amount of tightness at thewaist and fullness above and below. Furthermore, the side sectionsmaterially increase the strength and hence the wear resisting qualitiesof the garment by reason'of the double seams formed thereby along eachside of the garment. It is particularly throughout these portions of thegarment that the fabric undergoes con-- siderable strain due to the armand shoulder movements of'the wearer. Again, the length of the elasticfabric strip is decreased so that it does not extend the full width ofthe back but is confined t0 the locality where its function ismanifested, namely, throughout the central portion of the back where thestrains due to the forward movement of the body are exerted. T he resultis a neaterand more comfortable fitting garment without an unnecessarydegree of elasticity at the sides which not only gives an opportunityfor sagging at the waist, but decreases the strength of the garment. Inshort, the several improved features combine to provide a garmentprimarily calculated to provide comfort to the wearer, neatness inappearance and satisfaction in wearing qualities.

I claim as my invention:

1. A garment of the character described, comprising a front sectionconsisting of a single piece of fabric extending the full length of thegarment, and forming the front of the leg portions thereof, upper andlower back sections substantially less in width-throughout the upper andwaist portionsof the garment than said front sections,

and relatively narrow side sections of inelastic fabric inserted betweensaid front and back sections, and tapering from the upper and loweredges thereof toward the waist line.

2. A garment of the class described comprising a unitary front section,a back section comprising a body forming portion and leg formingportions, a longitudinal strip of elastic fabric uniting said backsections, and relatively narrow side sections sewed along the side edgesof said front and back sections, the combined width of said back andside sections being substantially equal to that of the front sectionthroughout the body portion ofthe garment, said side sec,-

tions beingdecreased in width from their ends toward the waistline ofthe garment.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name tins 17th day ofNovember, A. D. 1920.

EDWARD B. MowER.

